Apple ImageWriter II - Manual (Page 22)

Error Light Problems
The red Error light’s three states indicate three problem areas:
The Error Light is On.
You are out of paper. Load a fresh supply of paper and press the Select button to print.
The Error Light is Blinking.
There are two causes for the blinking Error light. The front cover may be loose or not on. Correctly seat
the front cover and press the Select button to continue. If the front cover is not the cause, check to see if
anything has jammed the print mechanism.
The Error Light is Blinking Irregularly.
When the Error light blinks irregularly, take a look at DIP switch SW2-4, located toward the front-left corner
of the printer. (You might have to slide the ribbon deck to the right to see the DIP switches.) If you don’t
have an accessory card (the ImageWriter II 32K Memory Option or AppleTalk Option), the switch should
be set to Open. If you have either of these options installed, the switch should be Closed. See
Appendix A for details on DIP switch settings.
You Get a Printout, But Nothing Like You Expected
Unexpected output, like odd spacing or garbled characters, is usually a result of mismatched settings
between the printer and the software or between the printer and interface card settings. These
mismatches can stem from
incorrect configuring of an application program’s settings
incorrect DIP switch settings on the interface card
incorrect DIP switch settings on the ImageWriter II
When diagnosing a problem, check for software problems before checking the DIP switches. Chances
are the problem doesn’t lie with the printer’s switches, unless someone has reset them. The switches are
factory-set to standard specifications. See Appendix A for details on standard DIP switch settings and
how to change them.
Software problems happen when a program’s settings are not the same as the printer’s. The process of
changing software settings is called configuring.
If you suspect a configuration problem, read the material on configuration in your application program
manual and check it against the standard settings for the ImageWriter II in Appendixes A and C. If you
find a discrepancy, reconfigure the program to match the printer’s specifications.
You might also try printing something from a different program—one you know works. If it works and the
problem program doesn’t, you probably need to reconfigure the problem software.
Mismatched DIP switch settings can cause the same problems as misconfigured software. The switch
settings program the printer or interface card to do certain things, like send data at a given data
transmission rate, for example 9600 baud.
The ImageWriter II has two DIP switch blocks. Serial interface cards have their own DIP switch blocks. If
you’re using a Macintosh Plus, Macintosh, or Apple IIc, you need only concern yourself with the
ImageWriter II’s DIP switches.